Fans were rooting for the Reds to go all the way on Saturday, as they faced fellow first-time contenders the Seattle Sounders. After beating the Montreal Impact to win the Eastern conference title, it seemed the sky was the limit for Toronto fans.
Things turned out a little differently. For the first time in MLS history, the championship game remained 0-0 at the end of 120 minutes of play. The cup came down to penalty kicks, and Seattle ended the night with five successes beating out Toronto’s four. Home team fans, instead of dancing with jubilation, were sent home dejected.
As former Toronto mayor David Miller put it last Friday on the Jeff Blair Show, TFC fans have put up with a lot over the years. Mismanagement in the early years of the franchise led to bizarre player signings and maneuverings. Despite the shortfalls of a developing MLS team still making inroads, fans of the Reds put the time in, creating the atmosphere of a proper football club, rooted in the community. They took road trips down to Columbus, Ohio and other lackluster destinations to witness debilitating games. And while watching at home, they endured the often frigid air coming up off Lake Ontario at the luxurious, but undeniably breezy, BMO Field.
Saturday’s championship match against the Seattle Sounders was no exception, with the temperature on the field and in the stands hovering around -3 Celsius. Team captain Michael Bradley didn’t seem phased by the weather though, wearing the normal Toronto kit and no arm or leg warmers for the whole two hour onslaught. The American star player guided the team as he has all year, showing his defensive finesse throughout the match, willing his teammates towards the push for the gold.
Despite noble attempts by Toronto’s agile power forward, Jozy Altidore, in the game’s first half, the Sounders managed to keep things tied up nil-nil throughout regular. In the end, the most anticipated game in TFC history came down to penalty kicks, with the Sounders beating out the home team 5-4.
While the result might leave a bitter taste in many a fan’s mouth, TFC’s success during the 2016 playoff push will continue to inspire players and Canadian footy devotees for years to come.
